Playing it safe: Locksmith is a key part of the community

Published 1:05 pm, Wednesday, September 4, 2013

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When I first walked down the steps into the Charles Stuttig Locksmith shop on Greenwich Avenue, I smiled, thinking that this had to be the smallest shop on the Avenue. Then I realized the shop was not only the smallest, but was one of the oldest on the Avenue. Charlie Stuttig's father, Charles Stuttig Jr., started his locksmith shop in 1958 above the old Monte Carlo's Tailor shop, which his grandparents owned. As his business increased, Charles moved the shop to East Elm, right behind Da Vince's restaurant (which we still miss). Then in 1972, the building on the upper part of the Avenue was for sale, and Charles Jr. decided to buy it, locating the locksmith shop in the basement.

In 1995, Charlie, his son, became President of Stuttig's. He started working at the shop during the weekends and vacations while attending Greenwich High School. After graduation he joined the family company, working full time while learning the trade from his father. And a complicated trade it is. Locksmiths learn through the old-fashion apprenticeship method. Although Charlie said there may be some classes available to persons aspiring to be locksmiths, it is only through hands-on experience with an experienced locksmith that one can really learn the intricacies of the business. A key is not just a key and as Charlie explained the complications of car keys, for instance, I was impressed.

While duplicating keys remains a primary part of the business, a common service is what is called a rekey service. A family or business might want to keep the same doorknobs or locks but have given away so many keys that they are uncertain who has access to the place. So all the doors are rekeyed to accept a new key and security is reestablished.

Of course, a locksmith is the first person one calls when locked out of a car or a house. Before we knew about Stuttig's, my husband and I were locked out of our house late one night. We had been dropped off from the airport and couldn't get in. We walked to a neighbor's (before cellphones) and called a 1-800 number. A guy came with an impressive truck but knew nothing about the lock business. At last I told him to take the hinges off the door. He worked on the hinges but couldn't succeed with that either, so we told him to leave. The minute he drove off, the door fell off its hinges and we were able to retrieve our key.

When I told Charlie that story, he laughed and warned that one should never call a 1-800 line for the 1-800 numbers are basically call services that may be located in California. They probably call a handyman, not a certified locksmith. We learned our lesson the hard way during a cold winter night. Charlie's technicians have helped people stuck in bathrooms or outside their homes in pajamas. They would have had no problem with our door.

Stuttig's has two road technicians during the day and both are on call with their cellphones. When a person calls after hours with an emergency, the message clearly states they will call you back within five minutes. If they don't call you back, that means they are not available

Safes are another big part of the locksmith business. Charlie is a specialist in safes, and in the store, one can find an amazing variety of them. He said that back in 2007, he was on the road all day just working on safes. Then with the 2008 economic slowdown, that business lessened and now the safe business comprises about one third of the store's activity. In the back of the store sits a 3,300-pound Cannonball magnesium safe that dates back to 1903. That was the type of safe that banks used to have to hold cash. No one could ever walk off with one, that's for sure. And Charlie doesn't think he will ever move it because of its size.

And we in Greenwich need his services so we are glad that he is safely ensconced in the small shop on the Avenue.

Ann Caron is an author of books on adolescence and is a parent-educator. She can be reached via email at anncaron@optonline.net.